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Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition)

Roman Holiday (Special Collector's Edition)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What a totally charming movie! I was enchanted!
Review: Roman Holiday brought a young, bright, immensely appealing Audrey Hepburn to the attention of the public, and we haven't been the same since. As Princess Anya, she combines grace, warmth, a sweet elegance, curiosity, a believable youthful impetuousness, with a regal bearing.

Gregory Peck is amusing as a conman/ reporter who's too used to fast-talking his way out of any jam. Eddie Albert adds another jovial touch as his photographer buddy, who joins Peck and the Princess on a day-long excursion into the real Rome of the early 1950's. Forget that this movie is in black and white, it's got charm, romance, humor, and a bittersweet romantic ending that left me sighing. Peck's transition from smooth-talking reporter to a man falling in love with the Princess, and "doing right by her" in respecting her privacy and their time together, was credible. How I longed for them to STAY together, after they returned to his apartment, after their eventful night at the dance, near the Castel SantAngelo.

And Audrey's transition from overprotected child Princess, to a woman of substance and depth, and true regal bearing, was breath-taking.

Watch this movie once, then again and again. How perfect for Valentine's Day! How refreshing to watch a "clean" movie with intelligent dialogue, tongue-in-cheek humor, playfulness, and TRUE romance. It's a keeper!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: By all means, Rome!
Review: This has been remade more than once indirectly, of course. But never equalled.

Superb. Beautiful scenery, wonderfully romantic and simple storyline, terrific atmosphere, and two leading stars who shone with such poise, style and elegance that they are easily among the best Hollywood has ever discovered.

Who needs "Notting Hill"?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A captivating romantic comedy
Review: I'm a sap for a good romantic comedy and this has to be included among my all time favorites. It is sweet, romantic, schmaltzy, enchanting and funny. Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is feeling overwrought by her royal obligations and tight schedule. She longs to be free of the burden of privilege, so one night in Rome she slips out of the royal accommodations late at night to see the city. The trouble is she has just been given a sedative, which has a similar effect to that which alcohol has on a lush on a bender. She is discovered sleeping near a fountain by Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who takes her to his apartment to sleep it off despite his better judgment. Joe is a reporter who is supposed to interview the princess the next day, though he doesn't recognize her (extremely implausible, but alright, it is a necessary plot device and this was before TV was ubiquitous).

When he realizes who she is, he plots to conduct a surreptitious personal interview with her by showing her around the town and not telling her that he is a reporter. What results is a charming jaunt about historic Rome that turns into instant love. There are numerous zany scenes and lots of slapstick humor, but it all works because Hepburn and Peck are so fabulous together.

This film was directed by legendary director William Wyler (Ben Hur, The Best Years of Our Lives, Wuthering Heights), who chose wonderful locations throughout Rome to give the romance a storybook flavor. Audrey Hepburn won a best actress Oscar for her performance as the lovely and impetuous princess. It was a rich and adorable performance, which that was both captivating and amusing. The scenes where she was intoxicated were precious and her naïve view of the world was endearing. Gregory Peck was dashing as the knave, with his understated flair for ironic and physical comedy. Eddie Albert (most famous for TV's Green Acres) adds to the fun as Joe's scheming photographer who spends much of the film getting drenched and falling down.

This film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including best picture, director, actress, costumes and story. It won only three (actress, story and costumes) in a year dominated by "From Here to Eternity"(Eleven Nominations, Eight Oscars). It is a delightfully entertaining story that is as enjoyable today as it was in 1953. I rated it a 10/10. If you enjoy romantic comedies, you can't go wrong with this film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Fabulous First!
Review: As Audrey's first film in hollywood, she did amazingly well, acting wise and leading man wise. This movie helped to bring more tourist to the knowledge of the Eternal City and made it more of an attraction to traveling people and as a setting for more films. Audrey was never the best actress, but she is my favourite, because what she lacked for in skil, she made up for in personality. One of Peck's greatest romance films, with quite an interesting ending and a wonderful way of getting there.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Audrey's Oscar-Winning Classic
Review: Audrey Hepburn, in her Hollywood film debut, won the coveted Oscar for Best Actress as the runaway princess in ROMAN HOLIDAY.

Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) lives a life of galas, balls, state dinners and world tours, and dresses in silks. satins and diamond tiaras.....and she is sick of it.

During her stay in Rome, she escapes and has a wild 24 hours of carefree fun and laughter, in which she has her tresses cut and fashioned into a smart bob, and gets a new, modern wardrobe.

All the while being chased by police and detectives.

During her 'sojurn' she falls in love with a handsome American newspaperman (Gregory Peck) and experiences her first taste of passion.

But it all has to end sometime. And when it does, Ann is not dismayed and sad. She says to the reporters that she will cherish her days in Rome "forever, as long as I live".

A truly delightful film indeed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dang they were good together
Review: For all that Audrey Hepburn was graceful and ethereal, there was something charmingly blunt and unrefined about her too. When she breaks down in bed in ROMAN HOLIDAY, or chuckles nervously before the Mouth of Truth, or awakens in a strange room, she puts something earthy into her emoting that many actresses of the era would have avoided. I think that's what sets her above those contemporaries whose delicacy was more one-dimensional.

Gregory Peck is terrific here too. There are other stars who would have been more convincing as a roguish reporter, but I can't think of any who would have been as striking. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first of only three comedies he ever made, and when he tries in all his dignity to squirm out of a lie in front of his boss, he's fresh and funny in a way that William Holden or Cary Grant couldn't have been. The same goes even more for that scene with the camera and the little girl.

And Eddie Albert is so innocent and good-natured that his amorality can't keep me from wanting to hug him even when he tries to convince Peck to do something dastardly near the story's end.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Greatest girl finds boy, boy loses girl
Review: This movie strs Audrey Hepburn(Princess Ann), Gregory Peck(Joe the reporter), and Eddie Albert(Photographer). Audrey plays the part of a princess who wants her freedom at least for one night. And she gets it. She runs around the streets of Rome and runs into Joe(Gregory Peck) who takes care of her. Until he realizes she is the Princess. Many escapades are setup for Eddie Albert(Photographer) to take pictures of the princess. In the end she realizes this cannot go on forever so she goes back to the palace. There is a very touching scene when the boy loses his princess, he realizes that love is stronger than a news story. In my opinion this is one of the best films ever filmed. Audrey Hepburn is a real life Princess.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent movie
Review: Audrey Hepburn plays the dazzling Princess Anne in this movie, along with Gregory Peck (the handsome reporter Joe). No wonder Hepburn received an Oscar for her performance! Beautifully elegant, she steals the screen with her looks and grace. The ending may be a little bit upsetting, but if the ending was not the way it was, the movie would have been long-forgotten. It's excellent. I'm an Audrey Hepburn fan all the way around, and for you other Hepburn fans, this is a must see movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Barber Cuts In.
Review: When your feeling down and you don't know what to watch, put this film in your video. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most of all you'll have a warm content feeling inside. I can't believe there could be a better pairing than Hepburn & Peck. They play their respective parts perfectly and most all, they're totally believable. This story has charm, this film has panache, the set design and costume design are second to none. Please watch it with delight, this is undoubtly my number one all time romance. Next stop Rome...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply, one of my all-time favorites...
Review: When it comes to beauty, grace, elegance and style, no-one else comes NEAR Audrey Hepburn!

I'll have to confess a bit of my shallowness that brought me to this film. First, since childhood, I have always adored Audrey Hepburn. Second, since I was 15, I've been collecting and (still can be found) catting-about-town on my Italian scooters (Lambrettas--TV175 (despite its highly unreliable nature) and Vespas--90, 150, GS, 200). Now flashback to my early days of peon-hood and slaving in a drug-store that sold VHS films--I unpacked this film one day. Audrey on Vespa w/ Gregory Peck. It called to me as no other movie. I bought it that day!

This movie is style and sophistication brought to life. It is so near perfect, that it almost defies commentary. Audrey, running off with the dashing gentleman-but-cad-at-heart Gregory Peck. A film made slighty before the Jet-Set age, where travel to Europe was still somewhat of a novelty for most Americans.

I enjoy this film more each time I watch it. I cannot wait until its release on DVD.

Get this film before any other Audrey movie. You will love it. Then RUN out and get Breakfast at Tiffany's (a perfect movie, scored by the perfect maestro--Mancini) and Charade (w/ Cary Grant--the perfect spy-spoof from the very start).


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